Kevin Heard - "Timeline"
Compilation of multi-instrumentalist songwriter Kevin Heard's recordings spanning the years 1982 to 2007, and featuring guest appearances from Tim Jones, Neville Maddison, Vic Warrington, and Norman Emerson. The tracks here cover an eclectic musical territory, united by a strongly melodic approach. A large part of the album is inspired by folk music, though the traditional elements are expanded upon and given a highly creative reinvention. Future History II is an instrumental piece that sounds like an authentic traditional ballad tune played on spacey, futuristic synths. Tongues of Fire is folk-rock with prog hints. This Tapestry is a very lovely folk-inspired piece incorporating jangly guitar and a catchy chorus. In the 1990s, Kevin Heard's music began to take on more of an electronic/dancey emphasis, with The Stranger, which combines brooding experimental aspects with dark edged electronic dance music, and Airborne, an electronic jazz-inspired instrumental with dance beats. Elsewhere, Kevin explores various types of well-crafted and intelligent pop music, such as The Scorpion, a really brilliant psych-pop-rock song with effective use of analogue synth; the great powerpop/janglepop song Sing Songs of Love; and the laid-back and atmospheric underground pop track Prophecy, which incorporates lots of reverby jangle. Lots of really fantastic material here, especially the pop and folk tracks which are very much in keeping with my own musical tastes.
Kim Harten - Bliss Aquamarine (http://www.blissaquamarine.net)